(WASHINGTON, D.C.) Today, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announces the release of the much anticipated LEED for Existing Building (LEED-EB) Green Building Rating System. Previously in pilot, the rating system has been fully balloted by the USGBC membership and is ready to launch. LEED-EB was designed to meet market demand for an existing building rating system following the success of LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC), the USGBC’s current rating system for new construction.

LEED-EB makes LEED certification available to existing buildings and provides an opportunity for ongoing recertification for previously certified LEED buildings. LEED-EB helps building owners and managers bring the performance of their buildings up to a high level and maintain high performance over the long term. Benefits of LEED-EB include energy savings, water savings, and healthier indoor environments.

“We are very excited that LEED-EB has been approved by the ballot of our USGBC members,”ť said Rick Fedrizzi, USGBC President, CEO & Founding Chair. “LEED-NC is rapidly transforming the design and construction of new buildings to sustainable practices. Now with LEED-EB approved, the USGBC has the tools in place to start transforming the existing buildings market to sustainable practices as well. With both LEED-EB and LEED-NC in place, the USGBC is positioned to help building owners and mangers make both new and existing buildings improve their performance over time and become more sustainable.”ť

About the LEED-EB Pilot
Development of LEED-EB started in 2001 and the pilot launched in January 2002. The number of buildings registered in the pilot is 99, which includes 31.5 million square feet. Pilot buildings are in 28 U.S. states, 2 Canadian provinces and Brazil. Five LEED-EB certifications have been announced (National Geographic Headquarters, Thomas Properties Group / California EPA Building, JohnsonDiversey Global Headquarters, Johnson Controls Brengel Technology Center, King County King Street Center). More will be announced at the USGBC’s Greenbuild International Conference and Expo at a ceremony on November 11, 2004 2-3 pm in the Portland Ballroom in the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, OR. Information on LEED-EB is available on the USGBC web site at: www.usgbc.org. The balloted version of LEED-EB will be published electronically on November 8, 2004. If you would like to be notified when it becomes available send an email requesting this to: leed-eb@usgbc.org

About LEED
The LEEDÂ® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating Systemâ„˘ is a feature-oriented rating system where credits are earned for satisfying specified green building criteria. Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels of green building certification are awarded based on the total credits earned. The LEED standard has been adopted nationwide by federal agencies, state and local governments, and interested private companies as the guideline for sustainable building.

About USGBC
The U.S. Green Building Council is the nation’s leading coalition of corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations working together to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. Since its founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 5,200 member companies and organizations, a 40-person professional staff, a broad portfolio of LEEDÂ® products and services, the industry’s popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, and a network of 67 local chapters, affiliates, and organizing groups.